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The Ordinary vs La Prairie

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

The Ordinary and La Prairie are two skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners tailored to different complexions. The Canadian brand centers its affordable formulas on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry and dry sensitive skin best, while the Swiss brand is beloved for refined formulations that likewise favor mature and dry sensitive skin. Ultimately, the brands differ through accessible ingredient-led simplicity versus luxury caviar-infused anti-aging care.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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La Prairie is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1978 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2003.

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This page compares some of the most popular The Ordinary and La Prairie products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs La Prairie products

People Say

The OrdinaryLa Prairie
  • Hydration and Plumping Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “erased my dry patches — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin feels plump — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Firming and Lifting Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “felt skin tighten immediately — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “opened my eyes — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “jawline genuinely looks lifted — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “deflates morning bags — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Value and Affordability Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • Glow and Radiance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “gave my face a soft glow — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin looks radiant — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • High Price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “eye-wateringly expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like a rich grandma — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Slow or Ineffective Results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “just a good moisturizer — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Texture Issues and Pilling Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “caused pilling — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £90.51 · 97% fitBuy La Prairie routine · £1,217.95 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £120.07 · 93% fitBuy La Prairie routine · £1,303.65 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £134.25 · 92% fitBuy La Prairie routine · £1,264.98 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or La Prairie: which is better?

The Ordinary is a better option for budget-conscious shoppers because the products on this page provide great value and help target acne, dark spots, and texture, while La Prairie focuses on luxury anti-aging with high prices and added fragrance.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and La Prairie?

The Ordinary offers budget-friendly products with affordable and great value serums, while La Prairie provides luxury items known for lifting and firming effects. Lovi shows that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas La Prairie has a High routine fit.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, with Lovi giving The Ordinary a Superior fit and La Prairie a High fit level. The Ordinary offers affordable value serums, while La Prairie provides luxurious, lightweight textures and deep hydration.

The Ordinary or La Prairie: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary provides a superior routine fit for dry skin with its Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA moisturizer, whereas La Prairie offers a high routine fit for dry skin with its Skin Caviar Luxe Cream moisturizer. Reviewers note that The Ordinary products on this page are affordable and great value, while La Prairie features luxurious, lightweight textures.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or La Prairie?

The Ordinary offers much greater value and affordability for shoppers compared to La Prairie. The products on this page help provide budget-friendly options while avoiding high costs.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, The Ordinary or La Prairie?

La Prairie has more products containing fragrance, with four out of five products on this page listing fragrance in their ingredients. In contrast, every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

What are the key ingredients across The Ordinary products compared to La Prairie products?

The Ordinary products feature hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane as their key ingredients, whereas La Prairie products primarily feature ginseng. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration and plumping benefits.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of The Ordinary and La Prairie compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. In contrast, La Prairie was founded in Switzerland in 1978 and is owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary to be a Superior fit while La Prairie is High. The Ordinary offers products on this page that help clear acne and smooth texture at an affordable price, whereas La Prairie provides luxurious, lightweight hydration with a strong fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for sensitive skin?

Both brands achieve a Superior fit for sensitive skin on Lovi. The Ordinary offers fragrance-free options and is praised for being gentle and non-irritating, while La Prairie features luxurious textures.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to La Prairie's High fit on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary features affordable and great value acne-clearing serums, whereas the products on this page for La Prairie often mention a strong fragrance.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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